Heat-exchange unit



J. E. ERCANBRACK June 2, 1:91;.

HEAT EXCHANGE UNIT Filed A112. 4, 1923 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 2.- 1925.,1,540, 08-

J. E. ERCANBRACK HEAT nxcnaucs UNIT F lled Auz, 9 3 ts-Shela 1 thereof.

Patented June 2, 1925; I

- uurrso sures PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EDWARD ERCANFRACK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TOGEORGE F. PAUL AND QNE-THIRD TO RALPH N. HART'WICK, BOTH OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

HEAT-EXCHANGE UNIT.

application filed August 4, 1923. Seriat N'o. 655,664. To all whom itmay concern: pand or contract without strain to the struc- Be it knownthat I, J oHN EDWARD ERCAN- ture which prevents distortion of the parts.BRACK, a citizenof the United States, and This is quite essential as itwill permit, at a resident of Chicago, in the county of any time, of thedisassembl of any one or 65 5 Cook and State of Illinois, have inventedmore of thecylinders ano tubes without certain new anduseful-Improvements in a interference with remaining elements.Heat-Exchange Unit, of which the follow I prefer to carry out myinvention in subing is a full, clear, and exact description, stantiallythe manner hereinafter described. such as will enable others skilled inthe art and as more particularly pointed out in the 10 to make and usethe same. claims, reference being had to theaccom- My invention relatesto means for modipanying drawings that form a part of this tying the temerature of fluids and is more specification. particularly directed totempering of water In the drawings: and air to raise or lower thetemperature Figure 1 represents a vertical side elevation of my heatexchange unit.. One of the objects of my invention is to Fig. 2 is anend view of the structure provide a heat exchange unit, or similarillustrated in Figtre 1. means, in and through which a fluid such asFig. 3 is a transverse section drawn to steam, hot water, or brine maybe circulated, an enlarged scale and taken on line 33 of and the unit isadapted to be'either im- Figure 1.

mersed in a tank of water 01'' positioned Fig. 4 is a top plan of myimproved unit within a compartment through which air is showing the sameinstalled in a structure circulated. for heating or tempering air.

In tempering air for use in heating with Fig. 5 is a top plan showing aninstalla- 25 warm air the structure is usually mounted tion for heatingwater in a tank.

in a chamber that is interposed in the air Fig. 6 is a verticalsectional view showing flue leading .from a suitable source of suptheuse of my heat exchange unit with brine pl and the steam 1s circulatedin the for the purpose of cooling water or air.

tu es of the structure, first upon one side In the drawings so far aspracticable the 3 and then upon the opposite side of a censame referencecharacters have been emtral, or a box-like compartment or header ployedto designate like parts wherever to which the tubes are connected andwith they occur, and by referrin to Figures 1, the interior of which,said tubes communi- 2, and 3 it will be observe my invention cate.Further objects of my invention repreferably comprises a casing orheader conside in providing a structure of this charsisting of exteriorside walls 10 of substanacter that is comparatively simple in conti'allyrectangular outline andspaced apart struction and which may be readilyassemin parallel relation, which walls are con-. bled or fabricated andplaced upon the nected by top and bottom walls 11 and 12 market as aunit. In constructing the unit respectively, and by end walls 13 and 14,

40 I have divided the same into a primary whereby an interior chamber ofsuitable diand a secondary side so that the fresh steam mensions isformed. Dividing this interior or other tempering fluids flowing throughchamber formed as just desc ed is a longithe unit may be readilydistributed. Also, tudinally disposed partition15 that is spaced with aprimary and secondary side I am from the side walls 10 and extends ableto better regulate the temperature of from top to bottom and therespective end the fluid being tempered and change the walls so that thechamber or interior of'the temperature either suddenly or graduallycasing is divided into two similar hollow asmay be found most desirableor necessary headers 16 and 17, the former being the in the particularcase. In this connection I primaryheader and communicates with a providea unit in which the cylinders and steam pige 18 through a boredembossment tubes, and other elements, are free to ex-. 19 exten ingabove the top Wall 11. Adja having a 30 and its inner end is carried byan ex-. teriorly threaded bushing 31 that is screwed cent its lower endthe secondary-header 17 is provided with an outlet or aperture intowhich is screwed a discharge pipe 20 through which the condensation andother.

fluid may escape or be drawn off whenever desired. Opposite pipe 20 theother wall of the casing is provided with a similar aperturethat isusually closed by aplug 21 but which may be readily removed in the eventan additional pipe is to be emplo ed. The end wall 13 is provided withad itional outlets 22 that are preferably closed by plugs as is seen inFigures 1 and 2 and which may be utilized in the manner hereinafter setforth.

The walls 10 are provided with the plurality of threaded apertures inwhich bushings 23 and 24: are screwed, which bushings carry thecylinders 25 and 26 respectively. The. cylinders have closed outer ends27 and 28 while their inner ends are open, as are the bushings at theirinner ends, so that they communicate with the interiors of therespective primary and secondary headers 16 and 17 inside the casing.Aligning with the axes'of the threaded apertures that receive thebushings, the partition 15 is also provided with a plurality of threadedapertures extending through the same. Mounted in each cylinder 25 is atube or pipe 29 belled or flared outer end portion substantially.half-wayintoits respective aperture in partition15 so thatthe tube orpipe 29 is separated or spaced from. the cylinder 25 and preferably freeof the latter. A similar tube or pipe 32 is mounted in each of thesecondary cylinders 26 and are supported at their inner ends in bushings33 similar to the aforesaid bushings 31.

The circulation of the tempering fluid, such as steam, is throu h thepipe 18 into the upper portion of t e primary header 16 until saidheader is filled with the steam which finds egress through the bushings23 and into the cylinders 25 where it passes to the outer ends of saidcylinders, around the flared ends 30 of the inner tubes or pipes 29 andthen passes longitudinally through ,said pipes 29 and through thecentral partition 15 to the opposite tubes or pipes 32 from which it isdischarged around the flared ends of the latter into the space be tweensaid pipesand the respective cylinders 26. The tempering fluid or steamnow passes back into the casing and into the secondary header 17 fromwhich it is discharged through suitable outlets such as pipe 20hereinbefore mentioned.

It is obvious the steam or tempering fluid will condense upon theinterior walls of the structure and I have provided shallow gutters 34and 35 upon the walls 10 within the respective primary and secondaryheaders,

'cumference thereof. In the event condensaand 37 res and these guttersare each spaced a slight distance above the inwardly extended ends ofthe bushin 23 and 24 so that the'condensation wil be carried beyond thecir- 7 0 tion should drip upon the bushings I have provided the latterwith annular grooves 36 ectively upon their inwardly extended en s so asto permit the condensation to drip free of the ends of the bushings andavoid accumulation thereof within the cylinders and pipes.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a practical installation of my heatexchanger or unit in connection with the heating of air for the urposeof warming apartments, rooms or the like. The unit in this installationcomprises the casing which I designate as A havin lateral cylinders Bupon the primar si e that are shorter in length than 5 the ateral tubesC u n the secondary side. The unit is prefera ly installed within asuitable'housing that is divided longitudinally by a partition wall D soas to provide a feed passageway E in which-the primary side B of theunit is disposed and a discharge passageway F in which the secondaryside of the coil is positioned. These passageways communicate throughthe casing G which may be exhausted by a fan so that the untempered airis drawn in through thepassageway E, past and circulated around theprimary cy inders B, and then blown into the passageway F, past andcirculated around the secondary c linders C. This arrangement, owing totie fact that the primary cylinders B are hotter than the secondarycylinders C, will rapidly raise the temperature of the air passingthrough the primary side of the structure anddischarge 1 the air pastthesecondary c linders C in in their heated condition, in other words, theair is what might be termed pre-heated prior to circulating past thesecondary cylinders. 110

In Figure 5 I have disclosed the embodiment of my heat exchange unit ina tank or cistern G, so that the circulation of the heating fluidthrough the primary and secondary cylinders B and C respectively fromthe 1 casing A will raise the temperature of the water in which theexchangeunit is emersed or submerged. Thisis found useful in dairy-farmsfor preventing the freezing of water for the herds and it is alsodesirable in laundries and other establishments where it is necessary ordesirable to modify the temperature of the water from the service pipesrior to being used.

In igure 6 I show the casing A as elongated vertically and disposedwithin a suitable housing H that is provided with an inlet port J and anoutlet port K. The housing is preferably air-tight and waterright sothat neither air or water may leak 25 of my invention through the same,and the casing A of the tempering unit is adapted to receive brine orother refrigerating fluid that is circulated through the cylinders Bwhich are arranged in the same manner as in the other installations,that is they are disposed upon each side of the casing to provideaprimary and a secondary section of'the unit. In this connection thewater or air is fed into the housing H and is cooled by circulatingaround and between the cylinders of the unit and is discharged from thehousing at a much lower temperature than that at which it enters thesame.

It is obvious that a great many other installations could beillustrated, but I have,

' for the purpose of simplicity, shown but three typical embodiments. Itwill also be obvious that changes may be made in the structure of thetempering cylinders and the casing with which they co-o erate withoutmaterially departing from t e principle 'therein disclosed. I thereforedesire it understood that refinements or modifications are fullycontemplated within the scope of the appended claims.

hat I claim is:

1. A heat exchange unit comprising a hollow casing, a partition dividingthe interior thereof into side-by-side headers, a plurality of cylindersextending laterally from opposite walls of said casing and communicatingwith the interiors of said respective headersand closed at their outerends, and a plurality of open tubes within the cylinders and extendingthrough said partition and non-communicating with the interiors of therespective headers, said tubes terminating adjacent the outer ends of 40said cylinders, whereby fluid admitted to one header-is conveyed to theouter end of the adjacent cylinders and is conveyed through thepartition to the outer end of an opposite cylinder by the respectivetubes 5 and is discharged into the interior of the other header of thecasing through the inner end of said opposite cylinder.

2. A heat exchange unit comprising a holg low casing, a partitiondividing the interior thereof aligning cylinders mounted upon oppositewalls of said casing and communicating with the interiors of therespective'hea'ders, and a tube extending through said partition 5 intosaid cylinders and terminating adjacent the outer closed ends thereof,whereby fluid from one header is conveyed through the partition by saidtube from and to the outer ends of said cylinders. Y

3. A heat exchange unit comprising a hollow casing, a central partitiondividing the interior thereof into side-by-side headers, said partitionand the adjacent opposite walls of said casing provided with aligningapertures, a plurality of tubes mounted in into side-by-side= headers,-axiallythe c ertures of said partition and carried there of saidpartition through the respective apertures'ir said casing, and aplurality of cylinders having open ends secured to the respectiveapertures and surrounding said tubes upon the exterior of said casing,whereby fluid from one header is conveyed to the other header throughthe partition by the medium of said tubes in conjunction with saidcylinders.

4. A heat exchange unit comprising a hollow casing having aperturestherein, a plurality of cylinders mounted in aligning apertures, aplurality of tubes extending through said casing and providingpassageways from the outer ends of opposite cylinders, and a partitionintermediate the sides of the casing for supporting all of said tubesand through which the passageways pass, which partition divides thecasmg into opposite side-by-side headers, the construction andarrangementof the partition, tubes and cylinders being such that fluidfrom one of said headers passes into an adjacent cylinder and isconveyed from its outer end through said partition to the outer end ofan aligning cylinder by means of its respective tube and is dischargedinto the other header through the inner end of said aligning cylinder.

5. In a heat exchange unit a hollow casing having apertures therein, aplurality of cylindrical elements mounted in said apertures andextending externally of said casing, and means upon the interior surfaceof the walls of said casing for preventing condensation from enteringsaid apertures and cylindrical elements. i

6. In a heat exchange unit a hollow casing having oppositely arrangedapertures therein, a plurality of cylinders mounted in oppositeapertures and extending exteriorly of said casing, gutters formed uponthe interior surface of the walls of said casing about each aperturewhereby condensation is prevented from entering said apertures andcylinders, and tubes supported within said casing and projecting intosaid cylinders.

7. A heat exchange unit comprising a hollow casing having aperturestherein, cylindersext-ending from said apertures, a plurality'of tubesextending through said casing and providing passageways from the outerends of said cylinders, said tubes having their outer ends outwardlyflared whereby to restrict the passageways formed between said tubes andcylinders and to prevent condensation from entering said tubes, andcommon means supporting said tubes through which means passagewaysextend and which divide positely arranged side-by-side headers.

8. A heat exchange unit comprising a y and extending from opposite sidessaid easing into opsuitably apertured casing, a plurality of cylindersmounted in opposite apertures, a plurality of tubes extending throughsaid casing and into opposite cylinders to provide passageways fromopposite outer ends thereof, means for supporting said tubes within saidcasing, and a feed pipe leading into said casing, the capacity thereofbeing equal to the combined capacities of all of said tubes.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 28th 'dayof July, 1923.

JOHN EDWARD ERCANBRACK.

